Jurassic World: New Dawn (Reposted)
by Erizabesu Miharu
Summary: Post-Fallen Kingdom. Owen and Claire, on the frontier of a world with dinosaurs, are faced with new and unexpected decisions. And not just about the dinosaurs, but about Maisie as well. These started out as one-shots, but have now morphed into an on-going story. Enjoy! Owen/Claire, naturally.
1. New Dawn

**All hail the Jurassic Park franchise, for better or for worse. Love love LOVE, the chemistry between Owen and Claire and wished that there could've been more of it explored in Fallen Kingdom. So, makes sense to do a little something in honor of the new release. And to address the elephant in the room... HUMAN CLONE! I get that Jurassic World is a dinosaur franchise, but I felt like this was a given with the bio-engineering they're always talking about. Only they DIDN't talk about this nearly enough!**

 **This began as a series of one-shots, but now I've morphed it into one consecutive story. The first two chapters most of you will have already read, so you'll want to jump ahead to chapter three for new material. For you newcomers, welcome! Enjoy reading!**

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"She's asleep." Claire announced just above a whisper; like any sound might stir Maisie, or break her. She was curled up in the back of the car, acting on her exhaustion. Something Owen wished he could do. He'd caught about ninety minutes before he and Claire had switched again. The plan was to keep driving, until they reached his place, putting as much distance between them and the Lockwood estate. Owen knew they weren't thinking beyond that; retreat and regroup. That didn't stop the questions from cramming his brain. Could they hope to live there, the three of them? Was it a good position, given this new world that was dawning? Would he finish his cabin? Could they make it... a home?

 _A home surrounded by fifty-foot electric fences._ He considered, shuddering. But then came back to the initial thought. Home. And he wasn't going there alone this time. Owen had to grin at the odd level of comfort it gave him. Home and family- kids- were words he had thought of before... a lot. More then he had admitted to Claire. But this... this changed everything and there was no chance of it going back to normal. But, did he really want it to?

 _No._ Owen was able to answer immediately. Sure, he'd pushed everything away after the devastation at the park... He eyed Claire out of his peripheral. _Well, not everything Grady._

Yeah, that had ended well. And it still didn't stop him from sticking to Claire Dearing like gorilla glue. A term she'd coined on him several times in reference to his hygiene. Honestly, what did the woman have against spending time outside?

Claire caught him looking; Owen cleared his throat and went back to the road. But he wasn't missing the way her posture had flip-flopped between tense and restless the whole drive; even while she'd slept. It's like the adrenaline of the last ten hours refused to leave her body. Or her leg could be bothering her. Luckily there were no signs of infection.

"Wanna try the radio again?" Owen suggested; the last time they'd tried, there had been nothing but news reports and he'd turned that off fast. No need to rehash what they'd just miraculously lived through. There wasn't enough time for anybody to know anything anyway.

"No, that's okay." Claire shook her head. The minutes went by silently; with Claire glancing into the rearview mirror every two seconds... a little more panic slipping across her skin each time. Owen considered it, but then dared to ask. "What's got you rattled?"

She looked at him in disbelief, gesturing back to a snoozing Maisie. "Really?"

 _Ugh, she's wanting me to mind read again._ Owen fought the panic, going with a shrug. "Really."

Claire rolled her eyes at him. "Just like you to approach this as nonchalantly as possible. We have a living, breathing human in the back seat, Owen. Someone who's depending on us to feed her, keep her safe and clothed..." the panic came back, Claire's cheeks puffing with air. "Put her through school, find her a good college, give her the talk when she's ready..."

Owen almost hit the brakes. "She's ten!"

"Sshhh!" Claire glared at him, checking Maisie once more. "And my mom gave me the talk when I was six."

He had to smirk. "I knew before I was four."

Her glare went murderous, highlighted beneath her feathered bangs; making her all the more alluring. Claire Dearing was the only person he knew who could make a controlling attitude- to the point of being hyperactive- look 'alluring'.

"It's always a competition with you." Claire hissed, leaning over the console. "You'd rather joke then think about the real issues here!"

"I don't have to think about it," Owen risked a peak into her endless green eyes. "You'll do that for both of us."

Her nose was close enough to kiss, and he would've, had she not pulled away and leaned heavily back in her seat. They rumbled over the road for another minute. Then Claire swallowed. "The more- scared I am Owen, the more serious I get. And this-"

"This is nothing you can't handle." Owen told her, noting Maisie's head rolling over in her sleep.

"Mills said she's a clone." Claire stated. Owen knew the fact still rocked her mind, like it did his. But he looked back at the girl sleeping. The same girl who'd asked questions about Blue, had eaten two junior hamburgers for lunch, and had cried twice for her 'grandfather'. _She's alive... she was right about that much._

"Maisie's a bright kid," Owen stated. "We'll give it a few days, a few weeks, until she decides what she wants to do."

"You think she understands the implications of her existence?" Claire was back to whispering. Owen sighed. "I know that other people would. The kind of people that would pay $8 million for a prehistoric killing machine. Wasn't going to leave her there for them to decide her future."

"So she has rights then." Claire looked at him and he knew they were both back in that control room. The sense memory of the gas was enough to make his chest tighten. "She feels, Claire. She interacts and communicates with others and is capable of being empathetic towards them. So yeah, she has rights. And the minute we start to doubt that, she will too."

Claire's face pinched. "So... we're her parents now?"

"Something like it." Owen felt that level of comfort again. The very opposite of what Claire seemed to be feeling. He reached out, grabbed her hand and massaged her knuckles. "Again, nothing you can't handle... 'specially now that you got me to help you."

Claire's eyes narrowed slyly, pushing his hand away. "You give yourself too much credit."

"I'll let you share some of it." he reasoned with a chuckle. He felt her eyes on him, watching his face. He'd missed those calculating glances because it was something they shared. The way that they gauged and learned about other people. Sometimes the boundaries of their relationship blurred; where they too alike or too different? Either way, he had always wanted to make things work... even when he was peeling out and leaving her on the side of the road, steaming pouring out of his ears at 'that woman'. Because, in truth, his world came through clearer with 'that woman' in it.

Claire dropped her gaze to her lap. "The world's gonna need groups like the DPG more then ever. I don't even know where to start; a press release, about what really happened on the island-"

Owen massaged his hand on the steering wheel. "You don't think that could wait awhile?"

"You don't think Mills was right? About us being responsible-"

"Mills would shame his own mother to hide his sins." Owen growled. "What we did at the park... were our jobs." He breathed out, shrugging the weight of memories off. "Everyone let themselves believe it would stay in the cage; not just us."

"So," Claire returned his shrug. "We just do nothing then?"

"Not without a plan we don't."

Claire sagged back in her seat. Owen held in a grin, knowing that having her wait was like cutting an addict off. But she'd be fine; he'd told her that he had a cabin to finish, and now she got to help him. They'd all want something a bit more sturdy then his trailer anyway.

That was when Claire raised her head, eyes slanted in dread. "I'm just saying that you'll have to finish that cabin pretty fast. Because I can't work in that Trailer, Owen! I've seen how you keep that thing-"

Owen braked, hugging the side of the mountain that would soon curve them upward. Claire stopped herself from the hitting the dashboard. "Owen-"

Owen kissed her, shutting her up. _You make me crazy, Claire Dearing. But you also make me very happy._

"Are you guys ok?" Maisie's sleepy tone spooked Claire into pushing Owen back. Her face flamed red, straightening herself. "Yeah, sure are!"

Owen laughed, throwing the car back into gear. "Yep, it's all good."


	2. New Dreams

**I am SOOO thrilled that you guys liked my first one shot! Thanx for all the comments and all the love! Hope this one is just as enjoyable. Happy Monday!**

 **Spoilers still, characters belong to the Jurassic franchise, yada yada yada... everything else, my imagination.**

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Maisie was up, trying to rise above the horrible images that were hunting her. But it was still behind her! The Indoraptor! Eli Mills was ordering it to find her, take her, KILL HER! Maisie then realized that a scream was cutting her throat. Her eyes opened to darkness, but there were shapes; unfamiliar shapes. Where was she? "Iris! Grandpa!"

A light went out, highlighting a doorway. The door opened a second later. Maisie screamed again, her back hitting the wall as she scooted away.

"Maisie?"

Maisie's gasps for air slowed at the sound of her name. "C-Claire?"

Red hair undone, in sweat pants and a large t-shirt, Claire Dearing come to the bed and sat tenderly beside Maisie. Maisie looked down at hr fists, clutching there sheets, then back up. Claire. Claire and Owen... Owen Grady filled the door, shorts and a sleeveless shirt that stated _U.S. Navy._ There were hidden shelves on either side of the door, the only storage in the hub of a bedroom. It made up the far end of the trailer. She was in Owen's trailer, some hours north of Grandpa's estate.

Claire rubbed her legs, demonstrating deep, slow breaths. "It's ok. We're here, it's fine."

Maisie matched her breaths, relief weakening her rigid muscles. She was here; not with Mr. Mills, not hiding from the Indoraptor. Maisie let Claire pull her into her arms, ear falling on her chest. She heard the woman's heartbeat. Quick, but steady. Strong. Grandpa's had always been so quiet and slow...

Maisie blinked out tears, spying Owen's eyes on her. "I... couldn't breathe. It was... coming... a-and I..."

"It's not coming for you." Claire reassured Maisie, working soothing circles on her back. "It's dead."

Then why did Maisie feel so exposed? She reached out a hand to Owen. He was there in one step, hunched down and holding her fingers tight. He looked worried about her, but his face never lost that confidence. Maisie had liked him the minute she saw him with the raptors; confident and caring... nice. Maisie wanted that kind of confidence. "I tried... finding Grandpa-"

"Hey." Owen squeezed her hand. "It was a dream. It's over."

It was. Maisie knew that. But she also knew that it didn't solve everything. She was too smart for that; maybe that was the problem. "Mr. Mills... he'll come looking for me."

Owen's expression steeled then. "Nobody's getting to you while I'm around, kid."

Maisie tried to steady her breath, pulling his hand closer. "Promise?"

"Promise." Owen's answer didn't hesitate and Maisie sensed Claire's neck warm. She believed in Owen as easily as Maisie did. Watching them together, it was clear that they didn't agree on much. Yet, they believed and trusted each other. Was that what couples did? Maisie had asked Iris about her late husband before, only to be told not to be nosy and impertinent.

Iris. She had listened to Mr. Mills dismiss her, but couldn't know if she had made it off of the estate... alive. Maisie rocked slightly against Claire, tears coming anew. She felt the button on her palm, recalled the buzz and automated hiss of the lab doors. It had felt right; like she wasn't the only one who would be left... but, had she caused Iris her death?

Owen cleared his throat. "You saw that cabin out there, right?"

It was like he could pick up on people's thoughts. Maisie glanced at the window, nodding. Owen grinned. "I could use your help nailing some boards tomorrow. You know your way around a roof, right?"

Maisie almost laughed. Jokes had been Grandpa's way to make her feel brave. Iris had always been watchful of her and Grandpa had been forever loving, but Maisie had had to develop a self-reliance that came with her isolated existence. She had felt that isolation, but had never let it bother her. It bothered now, and it felt like her self-reliance was gone. Maybe it had been scared away, fearful of the new surroundings; her new identity. Maisie hoped that Owen and Claire could help coax it back out.

Claire pulled her back to show her an encouraging smile. "And there's a lake! I can show you how to fish, if you want."

Maisie and Owen shared a puzzled look. Owen squinted at Claire. "You fish?"

Claire's face lost the smile. "I have a father, Owen. And I find foggy lakes at 4am to be very peaceful. A good place to think."

Owen shrugged, winking at Maisie. "She can really reel 'em in with the scent of vanilla."

Maisie did giggle this time, wiping her cheeks. Claire shifted to glare fully on Owen. "I'm certain that I've reeled in more-"

"Always a competition with you." Owen observed with his own laugh. Claire dropped her arms from around Maisie, hand going to her hip. "Real mature."

Maisie brushed her hair back, sighing deeply. "Thank you. I'm better now."

They stopped, focus honed back on her. "You sure?"

"I'll get you some water." Claire decided, already up. Maisie liked that thought and waited until she had her water and sipped it to Owen and Claire's satisfaction. She laid back on her pillow as Claire tucked her in.

"We're right outside." Owen pointed back through the door. Claire smoothed the sheets a final time. "Good night, Maisie."

"Good night."

The door closed and the lights went off, placing the room back in shadow. Maisie's chest tightened a moment, but she turned over, eyeing the window. It was higher up, but she knew there was a meadow outside. A meadow, a half-built cabin, and a lake, like Claire had mentioned. They were all out there, somewhere- Blue, Mr. Mills... the triceratops, the pteranodons... the tyrannosaurus rex.

Maisie closed her eyes. The dinosaurs were out there. But there was also the cabin that she'd help Owen with... the fish that Claire would teach her to catch. Maisie held those thoughts close behind her eyelids, letting them slip into her sleep. And become a better dream.

 **THE END**

 **More to come, promise! I plan to alternate between Owen/Claire/Maisie's POV to keep this dynamic well-rounded. Sound like a plan? (And yes, dinosaurs will show up soon.)**

 **Hoping that I can carry this pretty far because I really enjoy writing these characters. I also enjoy hearing your comments, so keep 'em coming. Thanks again for all the reads.**


	3. New Surroundings

**And the story continues... enter the dinosaurs!**

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The first rays of the morning sun over the lake had encouraged Owen and he made true on his promise, showing Maisie the ropes of building a house after breakfast. This brought attention to his lack of a well-stocked fridge, but they'd save a trip into town for the afternoon. Food, and extra clothing for the girls. Claire was wearing another of his shirts over her jeans, and Maisie had been stuck in the same purple shirt for three days. They'd need to make a list. If anyone didn't know by now that dinosaurs roamed free again, they were living on an island that wasn't Isla Nublar.

 _Before Claire breaks both her thumbs._ Owen thought behind a grin. He'd ceased teasing Claire aloud about it after she'd threatened to bruise his shoulder with said hammer. He found it hard to picture her throwing a perfect cast from a fishing boat when she was so sporadic with a hammer. _And I thought her ride on the T-rex was ridiculous!_

Luckily Claire wasn't joining him and Maisie on the roof, due to her leg. Owen had put her on dimension duty. Armed with a pencil and a level, she was in charge of marking the boards to be mounded up on the sides. Course, Owen hadn't counted on having to check- and re-check- all of her markings. How many times had he gone up and down this ladder?

Claire was taking a break now though. She nursed her thigh on the northwest corner, talking rapidly on her cell. Something about re-configuring the DPG office space. Apparently, the change in their mission affected whose desk went where. Owen went between watching her and keeping his balance as he and Maisie progressed toward the end of the roof. He hadn't been able to get the girl to stop all morning; she was gobbling the idea of manual labor up. His kind of woman.

Maisie pounded the last corner nail in, securing the board to the stud. She looked up with a big, accomplished grin. "Ready for the next one!"

Owen chuckled, forgetting Claire and drawing the next plank around. "Ease up, hoss. You need to go easy or you might split the wood." He took a nail from his belt. "You'll wanna prevent that by dulling the point of the nail, here... just enough to keep it from splitting, but still hold it in place."

Maisie's eyes followed the nail, hammer poised as he set it into place on the next corner. "Where'd you learn so much, Owen?"

"My dad and uncle ran a tree farm together." Owen paused to realign the board. "They know all things wood; had me building and carving before I would walk."

He nodded and Maisie hammered- gently- the nail in. "Is that why you like it so much? Because they taught you?"

Owen marveled at the way her questions seemed to go deeper then her words. Maybe it was the accent. He readied the next nail. "I guess so. I chose to join the Navy on my own though."

Maisie's pigtails bounced over her shoulders as she hammered the nail in. "How did you chose to-"

An low groan rising above the tree line cut her sentence short. They both stilled, Maisie's eyes going big as Owen's throat tightened. He stood up slowly to where he could see the trees that cowered the west bank of the lake. It stayed quiet... until there was movement and the snapping of branches.

"Stay here." Owen told Maisie, one foot already down the ladder. "Claire!"

She looked up, eyes transmitting her annoyance at being interrupted. Apparently she was too concerned with desks to notice anything! Owen dropped from the ladder and darted over as the second groan sounded from along the lake. This one, Claire heard. "Zia, I'll call you ba-"

Owen hoisted her up bridal-style and got them to the ladder as the echo of large, galloping footsteps came closer. There was an foot hill that set the cabin above the lake; it might work to their advantage, make their movements less noticeable... if the dinosaur stayed by the lake. Claire managed to climb as Owen supported her weak side. He prepared to follow when he caught sight of the sinoceratops. It was coming up, nearer and nearer the cabin, though it hugged the edge of the lake... looking for a good spot to drink?

"Owen." Claire hissed. But Owen remained still until the sinoceratops had turned its head and bent down for a drink to climb up. Claire grabbed his hand as he joined her and Maisie. They laid on their stomachs across the boards, Maisie between them, all eyes forward for a better view of the dino trespasser. Its massive head rose up, gave a contented noise, then lumbered from side to side... like taking in its surroundings. Claire and Maisie looked somewhere between awe and on edge, wondering what it was going to do. Owen just held his breath. It was an herbivore... only had one horn...

The sinocertops turned up the bank, headed for the timber frame of the cabin. Owen groaned. "Oh boy."

"Nobody's seen the sino since the auction." Claire risked a whisper over Maisie's head. "Maybe it's the last one to be tracked."

Owen watched the dinosaur stagger closer. " _Have_ they tracked them all?"

The sino reached the cabin, sniffed at one of the corner post Claire had just been sitting at. Claire swallowed. "Franklin sent the files to himself when we were on the island, but he's running into problems with... converting stuff."

That sounded helpful, and like she hadn't gotten the whole story. No one did, so soon after the whole fiasco with Mills and his band of idiots holding a dinosaur auction! The dust had settled at Lockwood's estate, only to be stirred up again by the press and every local and federal boot print within the United States. A statewide lockdown had been announced this morning, California's borders armed and dangerous until the government could formulate a plan to 'corral' these dinosaurs. A reporter's words, not Owen's.

 _Corral._ He thought, eyeing the sino as it snorted. _Yeah, right._

The sinoceratops snorted again, backed up... and rammed its head into the post! Owen grabbed Maisie by the waist as the whole frame shook, gripping an exposed rafter with his other hand. The sino moaned, rubbing its head back and forth on the post.

"What's it doing?" Maisie cried as the cabin continued to rattle. Owen eyed Claire, who gave a helpless shrug. "It's... just got an itch. Or, something."

The sinoceratops moved from the corner post, giving them time to readjust their grip. Owen moved his hand, feeling a splinter dig into his palm. He eyed up to the ridge, where the frame for the 2nd story started. The posts he'd jointed there were eight inches apart, and sturdier then where they were now. He pointed up. "Maisie, grab one of those."

The girl scrambled up easily. Owen helped Claire sit up. "We'll have to wait her out-"

They were both thrown back as the sino found another post to head butt. Wood split as Claire screamed. Instinct had Owen reaching and catching her arms before she tumbled off the roof. The lower half of her body dangled in the air and her face clenched in pain as she stared intently at Owen. "I can't... Owen, I can't climb up-"

The sino sent another shockwave over the frame. Owen braced himself against the pull of gravity, dragging his closer to the edge of the eave. Flattening his weight against the boards, he scooted forward until his forehead touched Claire's. "Loop your arms around my neck."

The frame continued to shake and shift, but Claire did it, clutching Owen tight. He felt the fear in her breath as he bore down and pulled her back up. The roof wasn't wide enough yet, so he stretched them sideways; ending with Claire's torso over his. He watched the sky- ironic in its tranquil blue- and got his breath. He tried a laugh. "You can unlock that death grip now."

Claire turned her face, eyes close enough for him to count her eyelashes. "On second thought, you're good."

She gave him that _Really, now?_ look, reaching up to grab the post beside Maisie. Owen sighed. Why were there always dinosaurs that interfered with their flirting?

The frame finally stilled. Nobody moved for several moments, until Maisie peeked past her lifeline. "I... I think it's bored now."

Owen and Claire shared a look, then sat up- slowly. Sure enough, the sino was making its way back toward the lake. Maisie risked sliding back in-between Owen and Claire, placing a trembling hand in Owen's. She either trusted too easily, or when she chose to trust, she did it wholeheartedly. Either way, Owen gave her a reassuring squeeze. They sat and waited ten more minutes, until the sino was on the other side of the lake, nibbling grass.

The ladder had been the first to topple over, so Owen had Maisie shimmy down on the bearing side, setting it back up for them. Claire batted Owen back, stating she could get down herself. Owen didn't fight her, distracted with the damage done to the back of the frame. What had been meant for a back door to a deck, was now a busted set of wooden stakes, the horizontal beam slanted over the opening. He walked over, but already knew it wasn't salvageable. He'd have to dismantle that part of the frame, measure and cut new logs... only to, what? Have a T-rex stomp a hole through the roof... preferably in the same spot he was planning to put a fireplace! But he should check Claire's stitches first, make sure they hadn't ripped. Then he needed to scout, see if any other prehistorics were hanging around. He needed to do a lot of things... and NONE of them were finishing his cabin!

Owen cursed, swinging a punch at the shattered wood. It hurt, but he swallowed any reaction and stalked toward the trailer.

"Owen?" Claire, leaning on Maisie, watched him walk by. "Where are you going?"

Owen turned with a huff. "Making a list, then going to town. We're going to have to set up a perimeter, a warning system of some kind."

Maisie's face fell. "Will we be fixing the cabin?"

"We'll see." Owen said, resuming his path to the trailer. The way he was feeling right now, he didn't want anyone near the cabin.

 **More to come (dinosaurs and character development). There's a lot of aftermath to get through and I'm loving every minute of it! Hope you guys are as well! Thanks for the reads and reviews!**


	4. New Pains

Claire texted Zia back, put the phone down, and went back to working the egg stains off of the skillet. She found the elbow grease required extremely satisfying. And distracting from her leg. The stitches hadn't opened, but it was becomingly increasingly stiff. And Tylenol only went so far. However, Claire wasn't one for sedatives, preferring to be aware of her surroundings. Besides, she and Owen had agreed to forego a hospital, hardly needing the spotlight of doctors. There was enough attention on them; Claire's inbox and voicemail were crammed with inquiries... reporters, the DPG's sponsors, senators, and a few people in congress that she'd spent the last year trying to reach.

Owen had been getting calls too; until he had switched his cell off this morning. Once more, he was removing himself... in a way however, that was vastly different from last time. Aside from coming up to his cabin, Owen had been going along with almost everything that Claire had said or suggested since arriving. A press release with the media- over the phone of course- cleaning his insanity of a trailer, and she had mentioned a meeting happening in San Diego in two days; he suggested she go! Without a hint of sarcasm. There had been no sarcasm, no protests, no opposite way of thinking, and barely any borderline jokes. That wasn't the Owen Grady that she knew. It was unfitting and disturbing.

"His omelette's cold." Maisie mentioned. Claire stopped rinsing and looked back at the small table adjacent from the sink. Maisie sat across from Owen's plate, half involved in a book they had gotten her. A pre-teen adventure series. There had been a collection of them at a gas station on the way up here and Claire hadn't thought twice about grabbing them. Maisie would be done with them in no time... though she wasn't fully engaged at the moment. The table was by the largest window in the trailer, allowing Maisie to watch outside, where Owen continued to work on the cabin.

"He won't let us help him." The girl observed in clear disappointment. Her excitement at Owen's promise had been evident this morning, and Owen had been eager to show her. The scenario with the sinoceratops had shattered all that. Claire hobbled to the table, stretching her leg on Owen's side while eyeing the plate. Then eyeing out the window with Maisie. "Guys can be like that. When they're mad or frustrated about something, they'll work it out silently."

"He's that mad about the cabin?" Maisie supposed. Claire knew better; what little she was sure of about Owen. "We told you that he was in the Navy, right?"

Maisie nodded admiration coming back into her eyes.

"People have to do a lot fo fighting when they're in the armed forces." Claire sighed, looking back out the window. The sun was sinking, turning the shadows long- Owen's remained broad, even as he hunched over a worktable. "I think Owen came back because he was ready to stop fighting."

Maisie bit back a snort. "He trained velociraptors."

She had a point. Claire shrugged. "He's going to have to be a solider again, in this new world. We all are."

Maisie glanced down, thumb folding and unfolding the corner of her page. "Because... of me."

Claire reached forward for the girl's hand, only to grimace when she bumped her leg. Weren't the stitches supposed to be _healing_ her!? "Hey, I-" Claire gestured out the window. " _We_ don't want you to dwell on that. It..."

She studied the girl that she and Owen were trusting themselves with. It had only been a few days, but Claire found herself wanting so much for her. Wanting her to be strong rather then scarred by all they'd gone through. Not wanting her to feel limited by what Mills had told her. But what she'd done in the lab... Claire decided she didn't want Maisie to carry that the rest of her life, if possible.

She tried again, covering Maisie's hand so she'd look at her. "When we make decisions, we need to be brave and responsible enough to face what comes next. That's what I've been doing on my phone and what Owen's doing, making sure we're safe. You'll figure out the same; we'll help you."

Maisie's expression rose with Claire's encouragement, though her eyes still worked through whatever thoughts occupied her mind. Claire smiled. "Once Owen snaps out of it, he'll be running you ragged with jobs. And then, we'll have to talk about what to do about school for you..." She grabbed her phone as it dinged with another 'urgent' text. "So take it easy tonight and don't worry."

"But, Claire..."

Claire's eyebrows furrowed at the link provided in the message; Franklin had forwarded it with OPEN NOW! She clicked and was taken aback by the official government seal dominating the letterhead. What-

"Do you think... my grandpa was wrong?"

Claire looked up to find Maisie's eyes piercing her as she waited for an answer. _Okay, wasn't expecting that._

Claire took a moment and looked Maisie over. The girl in her second life, a phenomenon of science! Yet, she didn't act any different from how Claire must've at age ten. Eager and inspired by the world around her. Cautious and thoughtful, and yet ready for action, to learn new things. And whatever questions she had about herself, she was expecting Claire to answer them. Could she? Claire had prided herself on her newfound moral code in recent years. Now however, much like after the fall of Jurassic World, she felt herself trying to piece it back into a new order.

"What your grandpa did was love you." Claire finally told Maisie's expectant face. "Focus on that. You can't go wrong with those kind of roots."

Maisie considered that, then looked back out at Owen. "I'll go tell him that his dinner's on."

She closed her book and headed out the door, leaving the cool air to draft in. Claire sat back, satisfied with her mothering moment. Did they always creep up on one like that? Not even her throbbing thigh was bringing her down from this. Claire lifted her phone, returning to the email Franklin had sent. Only to have her eyebrows furrow again.


	5. New Plans

Maisie jumped onto the platform of the cabin. She caught sight of the damaged doorway, but moved on to the worktable Owen had set up; plank of plywood across the back of two sawhorses. Owen looked up, face shadowed by the lantern he had out. He looked ominous, unsettled. He'd gone into town by himself and come back with bags and backpacks, then traveled into the woods alone, leaving Claire one of the walkie talkies. The whole time his face had looked like that. And despite the chill setting in, he still wore a short sleeve T-shirt. Like whatever was boiling beneath the surface kept him warm.

It spooked Maisie, seeing this side of Owen. But she gave him a hopeful smile anyway. "We saved dinner for you."

Owen drew another line on the paper he had spread out. "Not really hungry right now."

Maisie wasn't convinced by that. She stepped closer until she could make out what was on the table. A map of the property, complete with the lake, the meadow, and the woods. There were three red Xs arching around their location, as well as two green squares Owen had colored in. Both far back through the trees. Maisie ran her fingers over the closest one. "What're you planning?"

Owen paused, eyeing where her finger rested. "Plant motion sensors at a one mile radius around the trailer."

Maisie's brow furrowed up at him. "You mean the cabin... right?"

"That'll have to wait." Owen shook his head, voice going tight. He pointed to the two green squares. "I'm gonna build deer stands. In case one of us is 'out' and needs a hiding place."

A deer stand didn't sound like something that could protect them from dinosaurs. Course, if it was just a sinoceratops they needed to worry about... no, it wouldn't be. Maisie recalled the pteranodons she'd watched flying over the Pacific Ocean. And she'd seen the news on Claire's phone, when Claire wasn't looking. The pteranodons terrorizing Las Vegas, a carnotaurus caught just outside Sacramento... caught and killed, but not before it had caused the deaths of eighteen people. And then there was the T-rex, lurking through a national park after devastating a zoo.

 _But, they're far away from here._ Maisie told the fearful pit in her stomach. She hadn't meant to learn all this; only to find information about Blue, thinking it might make Owen feel better. And, maybe, he'd tell her about Blue like he'd promised. No such luck though. There was much about the other dinosaurs, the investigation into Eli Mills- who had disappeared- and the auction, and... Grandpa's death.

Maisie looked at her hand in the gentle light of the lantern. It wasn't the hand of a granddaughter, but she couldn't call Benjamin Lockwood anything other then Grandpa. Either way, he was dead. And it hurt. Maisie moved her hand and picked up a sheet of paper. Another list. It would distract her. She leaned closer to the lantern, squinting over Owen's wide handwriting. _Sniper scope, camp mesh, 2'' and 4'' nails..._ The list went down the front and onto the back of the paper. Maisie watched Owen, now fiddling with the wiring inside a small cube box... the motion sensor? Maybe he'd teach her, just like he'd been doing with the cabin.

"Is all of this necessary?" Maisie asked, eager to understand.

Owen stopped, thumped his palms on the table, and glared down at her. "Yeah, it kinda is. You made a decision and now 'we'" he gestured between them and to the trailer. "have to live with it."

Maisie's mouth fell open. The guilt from earlier returned, turning the pit in her stomach sour. Owen picked the sensor back up, along with a screwdriver. "Choices have consequences, Maisie. Try and think about them next time."

Maisie stepped back, chin quivering. Why was he suddenly mad? At Grandpa's mansion, when she had wanted to explain, Owen had told her not to worry about it. She waited for him to say something, anything to counter what he'd just said. He didn't, working on like she wasn't there. Maybe that was what he wanted. Maisie ran off the platform, fighting back tears.

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Claire looked up as she spritzed the counter. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she was impressed to hear the door and fully expected to see Owen trail in with Maisie. Just Maisie entered however, tears down her cheeks. She pushed past Claire and into the bedroom. The door slammed and Claire stood, confused, with her sponge and spray bottle. Her phone rang after a few absorbing seconds. Claire passed stiffly to the door and tapped on it. "Maisie?"

All she got were sniffles. Claire moved back to where she could peer out at Owen. She couldn't miss the rigidness of his muscles, the extra jerk to all his movements. Claire's phone continued to ring and her leg cramped. She bit her lip, ignored both, and got herself out the door; only to grab her phone before making it down the metal step into the meadow. "Owen!"

Owen looked back, but returned to his work. Claire's face flushed in fury. She made it to the platform in record time. Only there was no way for her to climb up and yell at him eye to eye. Ok, he was too tall for that even if she could get up there.

"What happened?" Claire demanded. "OWEN!"

"Nothing, Claire." Came his automated response.

 _Yeah, right!_ Claire pointed in emphasis at the trailer. "Maisie's crying and you're mad!"

Owen tilted his head at her, shrugged. "Looks that way."

Unbelievable! Claire resisted the urge to throw her phone at him. Instead, she leaned on the brace for the middle of the wall, before her leg gave out. "Seriously, what happened? Talk to me."

He snorted, moving the lantern closer to his work. "There's a switch. Claire Dearing letting others talk."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Nice. All those times you preached to me about being open and trusting-"

A lazy groan- distant, yet still distinct- sounded from across the lake, giving Claire and Owen pause. They looked out for any movement in the gathering shadows. The sinoceratops had to be back. She'd been listening to it through the woods all afternoon, always coming back to the lake when thirsty. It seemed to like the area, with the nearest neighbor three miles away. The logical step would be to call the national guard, let them know that the sino had been found. But Claire knew that would be superfluous, with all the calls flooding the congressional offices right now. Plus... ugh she didn't know why, but it would feel like a betrayal to Maisie when they did.

Claire was so intent in her thoughts, she jumped when Owen came down beside her, rifle in hand. He watched the waterline, but addressed her. "You wouldn't get it."

"You don't know that." Claire said, hurt by his abrupt lack of confidence in her.

Owen leaned in, his scent grabbing at her heart in the easy way it did. "If you got it, then you wouldn't have dragged me back to that island in the first place."

Claire stared at his rigid tone, absent of its easy-going flow. It scared her a bit. "Owen, please. This isn't like you."

He raised a sarcastic brow. "What, I don't get angry?"

"You don't play the blame game," Claire raised her voice, her fear giving way to frustration. "And you definitely don't yell at scared kids."

Her phone rang out again, the same number as the last two times. Owen eased off the rifle, folding his arms. "Your extra appendage, I see."

Claire set her chin and put her phone on silent. She recognized the number anyway. "We're NOT done talking about this... but Senator Sherwood left me two emails and three voice messages today."

Owen looked at her blankly. Claire huffed. "The representative of Northern California. Congress is holding a meeting in Palo Alto in two days. He's asking us to attend."

Every word out of her mouth was making Owen coil like a snake. "Why would he want us there?"

"The same reason Congress is asking Zia and Franklin." Claire told him. "They were on the island, at Lockwood's estate. They're hoping to simultaneously shut the investigation of the auction, and contain the dinosaurs."

"Contain?" Owen echoed, his eyes narrowing. "Why not kill?"

"They can't just blow them up in a residential area-"

"Really." Owen dropped the rifle and rubbed a hand on her forehead. Why did he say it so cynically?

"Owen, this isn't a solution they can come to overnight." Claire reasoned.

"Meaning that they're considering more the one." Owen shook his head, leaning against the frame. "And, what, you're going to help them brainstorm?"

"I might... have a few ideas." Claire swallowed. Owen gave a helpless laugh. "Ready to take charge like always."

Claire blinked. "That's not what I'm-"

"You want a hand in controlling a situation that has no hope of being controlled!"

"I refuse to accept that." Claire huffed. "Or to ignore that it's happening, like you are."

He tossed the rifle up on the platform emphatically. " _I'm_ making sure that we have a sustainable home."

"Going to this meeting can help us accomplish that."

"They don't need you to tell them to nuke 'em." Owen gestured out to the lake. "Going wouldn't even be an option if Maisie hadn't-"

Claire slammed her hand on the wood, at her limit with this alien Owen. "DON'T finish that sentence."

They stared off, Claire spotting some flecks of familiarity in Owen's eyes. That calmed her because, despite her boiling anger, she needed him. She took a full breath. "Is that going to be her mark now?"

"Among others." Owen backed up , pinching the bridge of his nose.

He'd just made the conversation ironic. The decision to leave Lockwood estate so abruptly had been his. No one- not even Maisie- knew what the fallout of her existence would be with Benjamin Lockwood dead. She was a clone and vulnerable to whoever knew that. What else could they do but remove her, get her somewhere safe? Too bad the word 'safe' had changed.

"Are you coming to the meeting or not?" Claire asked, preferring to close one argument at a time with him. Owen turned back to his cabin. "I don't do courtrooms... unless you wear one of those tight skirts."

Claire wanted to claw his eyes out. "Can you _act_ serious for two seconds!"

"STOP IT!"

Claire started, turning with Owen to see Maisie a few feet from the trailer. Her eyes were teary and afraid as she looked between them. "I don't want you arguing over my decision!"

"Maisie," Owen sighed. "Go-"

"I didn't want to be alone." Maisie rushed to explain."I don't know where I fit and neither do they."

"You don't have to-" Claire tried to sound soothing. But Maisie stepped closer to Owen, eyes furrowing in anger. "I'm scared and confused and _you're_ not allowed to tell me not to feel that way!"

Owen didn't say anything, which angered the girl more. She looked like she wanted to run, but knew better and disappeared back into the trailer before Claire could hope to comfort her. She was amazed, if not scared, at how quickly her maternal instincts were growing toward Maisie. She looked at Owen, his face as weary as hers. "If this is going to work, we need to be on the same page."

To her surprise, he nodded. Claire set her chin. "Starting with you apologizing."

Owen looked at her, their opposite position clear. Claire cemented the fact in, walking away. "Hopefully it happens before I get back.


	6. New Threats

**I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! Thanks so much for your support and all the heartwarming reviews. I'll keep 'em coming as long as I feel there's a story. Happy 4th of July!**

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The drive to and from town had never felt longer for Owen. Getting groceries had added to the agony of driving Claire the extra hour to the airport. She was going to that meeting and there was no stopping her. Claire Dearing didn't sit by until she had exhausted all options. Another trait Owen went between loving and having to take aspirin over. Still, he'd driven her there; and he'd be there to pick her up in two days. He just hoped she'd be there.

 _Please don't make me out to be an idiot... again._ Owen pleaded to whomever might be listening. Ultimately, he knew that only one of them going was the only option, no matter what congress said; Maisie couldn't be left alone. Still, he'd felt Claire's despondency as she'd left, promising a text when she landed in San Jose. She was mistaking his removal from the situation as a lack of support. It wasn't... if fighting had to be done, if she needed back up in anyway, he was there. But he'd already said his piece; about Jurassic World, the volcano, the dinosaurs. And they'd still ended up in this new mess that had been solved 65 million years ago. As idealistic as Claire fought to be, Owen doubted anyone would listen this time- inside or outside of Congress. And he hoped that the fight to be heard wouldn't pull Claire away from him again. Owen was sure his heart would go bitter and black if she did.

His eyes flickered to the rearview mirror as he slowed the car around a curve. Maisie's pale face and dark brown hair were turned to the window, avoiding eye contact with him on purpose. The disturbing lack of emotion from her during their drive had Owen more unnerved then Claire's absence. The easy going repoire between them that vanished and Owen knew why.

Claire wanted him to apologize; Owen half agreed with her. Maisie didn't deserve to be yelled at, but he wasn't going to coddle her about her decision. People were getting hurt, hospitals and the Red Cross were stretched thin with reported dinosaur attacks all across the Golden State, and the government was hyperventilating, trying to figure which resources to exhaust first. The only positive spin on it was that the pattern of attacks showed them which way each dinosaur was headed. A single airstrike for each and it would all be over... if it weren't for the threat of further loss of human life. Boy, Claire was going to have a ball at those meetings. While he, in the meantime, fought for common ground with Maisie again.

"You believe all the cleaning supplies Claire had us buy?" Owen blurted out. "Be cheaper just to hose the whole trailer down."

Maisie said nothing for a few seconds, her gaze remaining out the window. "A flamethrower would be better."

"Hee." Owen chuckled. The kid had wit. She was still mad about last night though. He eyed the dashboard's clock. Twenty minutes till they made it to the homestead. He put some words in order, taking a deep breath. "Maisie-"

His intentions were cut off by the growing sight of the car- stalled in the middle of the road. Owen eyed it, puzzled, slowing several feet behind it. The hood wasn't up, and the tires didn't look flat. The driver's door was wide open. Yet, he didn't immediately see anyone in the car.

"Where's the driver?" Maisie asked.

"Good question." Owen acknowledged, slowly opening his door. "Stay here."

Maisie compiled, though she rolled down her window and stuck her head out. Owen removed his rifle from the floor of the passenger's seat, eyes on the car. Nothing moved. That didn't comfort him. Rifle in hand, he took cautious steps toward the car, trying to not let the pounding in his ears distract him. He stayed sharp, spying on the terrain that lined the road for any unusual markings. The trees rustled with the dry wind coming down from the hills. Owen worked his hands to feel the air on his sweaty palms.

"Owen." Maisie called out. Owen jerked his head around, a finger to his lips. Maisie threw him a frustrated look and pointed, making a downward motion. Owen looked back at the car and spotted what she saw. Feet, jutting out from where their owner lay, and the rest of the body blocked by the car. Owen cleared his throat. "Hello?"

The feet gave no response. Dread wrenched Owen's stomach. He'd come alongside the car by now and was almost certain of what he'd find. Rifle raised, he came closer. Then the faint chatter of chomping confirmed it before he rounded the front fender.

The body of a man lay still, numerous scratches and bites over his skin. A lean compsognathus, spine streaked with dark green scales, munched through the man's right torso, regardless of the clothes he wore. Another, smaller 'compie' was digging its claws into the guy's face, tearing skin from the left cheek; just above where a giant gash in the throat had been left. Then there was a third, it's whole head buried and biting in a dark red pool of what used to be the stomach.

Owen's dread turned to bile as he backed up, tracing his steps exactly. Compsognathi were pack hunters and at three, four feet high, it would've taken several of them to bring a grown man down. He'd had probably stopped, thinking what harm such little dinosaurs could do. The answer was plenty!

There was no need to disturb them... until Owen was in the car and could run them over! Owen took another step- and got a searing pain above the ankle of his jeans. He looked down to see a compie helping itself to a bite of his leg! Owen drove the rifle butt into its head and it let go. Blood warmed his pant leg, but Owen didn't let it hinder his bolt for the car. His peripheral saw a fifth compie leap at him and latch onto his side. The claws and teeth stung through his shirt and skin, ripping into his ribs. This caused Owen to stagger, but he knew if he went down, there'd be no getting up. He heard one signaling for the others; they'd be coming in from all sides!

"Gaaagghh!" Owen cried, yanking the compie off of him by its scrawny neck. He hauled it aside as Maisie let out a scream. This had Owen looking up in panic to see another of the puny dinosaurs- by comparison- scraping at the car, trying to climb through her window. Owen raised the rifle and fired this time, sending the compie limp and bloody to the pavement. He then spun around and sent three more bullets at his attackers. He got two, leaving for another to try for his other leg. Owen kicked it back, buying himself enough distance to reach his car. Maisie had her window up by the time he slammed the door. Two of the compsognathi weren't deterred, charging at the glass, determined to break it and have their next meal. Another appeared on their hood, ramming its head at the windshield!

Loud gasping breaths could be heard from Maisie as Owen punched the gas, lurching them forward. The compie tried to maintain its balance, but was flung off when Owen swerved to avoid the stalled car. A light started dinging on the dashboard, reminding him to fasten his seatbelt. That and his side was in agony, stringing the seat and the console with his blood. He needed to apply pressure, but he couldn't stop. A compsognathus could go forty miles an hour when it was motivated. He needed to get home. He prayed that was far enough away.


	7. New Bonds

Owen's eyes found Maisie in the back, her eyes wide, breath rapid. His wasn't any slower, the adrenaline nearly shooting his heart rate through his chest. It'd match the hole in his side. His leg only gave off a minimal throb so he didn't waste any concern on it. He steered the car with one hand, holding his side with the other as it continued to bleed. Leaving no hands to do his seatbelt and shut up that annoying dinging!

"Did they..." Maisie's voice quivered. "They ate that man."

She was too observant for her own good. Owen sought for some way to distract her, but he only came up with. "Any of my sweatshirts back there?"

Maisie looked around and under the seats, only to shake her head. They went over a bump and that sent fiery jolts into Owen's ribs. He wanted to close his eyes, seeth the pain and mounting frustration- and a few choice words- through his teeth, but he needed to keep all his focus on the road. The few compies that had given chase to their car had vanished from his side mirror, but that didn't comfort Owen. And they still had twelve minutes to the trailer...

"Maisie," Owen slowed enough to have a steady gaze with her in the rearview. "I'm gonna need you... use your jacket... to stop the bleeding okay?"

Maisie shook her head again, fearfully this time. Owen sighed, held an even tone. "I can't stop. There's duct tape in the back. We need to tape... something over it to make sure I don't bleed out."

Ok, that was a little harsh. The wound was bleeding, but it wasn't deep. Infection was going to be the biggest concern and it wasn't going to he fun while it healed. But he didn't know how else to spur her to help. Owen shifted, risking more pain. "Hey, look at me."

She did, shoulders relaxing with the motion.

"I trust you to do this... alright." Owen told her before he had to come back to the road. "You'll... umph... need to fold your jacket into a square. You'll press it over the wound... and tape it there. Easy as tying your shoe."

"O-Okay." Maisie nodded, working her jacket off. She moved up when she had it folded and Owen lifted his right arm while continuing to drive. He bit his lip when he encouraged her to press the clothing on tight. "Tape an X over it, a few times so it doesn't slip."

She did this expertly, then sat back when finished, her chest rising and falling. She dropped the roll of duct tape and stared at her hands. Owen then realized they were smudged with his blood. _Oh, great Grady! Adding years of therapy onto her psyche._

He sped them the rest of the way to the trailer, mentally going over the supplies in his first aid kit. There was still plenty of thread left after he'd stitched Claire up, but he didn't know about gauze... Owen reached the rise and parked, ready to take a moment before getting out. But then Maisie was flying out her door and running for the trailer.

"Maisie?" Owen pushed his door open, but his side hindered him from catching up to her. He finally did, the trailer door wide open and Maisie scrubbing her hands like mad over the sink. The subs were red and so were her eyes as she cried. She had been doing too much of that lately. Owen climbed in, pausing yet again to catch his breath. "Maisie."

She just scrubbed harder, not turning to look at him. "I'm sorry! I-I-I'm so-orry."

Owen's hand fell away from the duct tape, finding more hurt in her tears and fear then in anything. He stepped in beside her, grabbing paper towels with his clean hand. Maisie took them, working them feverishly over her hands. "I'm... I'm s-sorry Owen..."

Owen shook his head. "It's ok-"

"It's not." Maisie shook her head back. "This i-is because of me-e-e!"

"Maisie." Owen watched her, still drying her hands. He knelt down. "Hey... kid, that's enough."

He grabbed her hands, only to have her drop the towels and hug him tight around the neck. Owen was taken aback, considering she was supposed to be mad at him. He eased his arm around her anyway, letting her cry on his shoulder. Her little body shook when she hiccuped and her arms never stopped clinging. Like a lifeline. Like it or not, the kid had attached herself to him, looked up to him. How long had he been looking forward to that with his own kids? Now, it'd been dropped into his lap and he'd tossed it aside.

"You patched me up good." Owen said when Maisie's sobs had calmed down. "Might need some stitches, but I'l be fine."

"But I caused it." Maisie whispered in terror. Owen sighed, half from the pain this position was giving him. "If we're going to talk about this, I need to sit down."

Maisie pulled back and Owen pointed to the first aid kit, kept in the shelving under the table. He stretched out across the floor, back to the sink, looking over his leg. Maisie retrieved the kit and opened it as Owen ripped off the tape and Maisie's soiled jacket. He needed to inspect it before stitching it up, but disinfecting came first. "Scissors."

Maisie gave him the scissors and Owen cut the tattered cloth of his shirt away, exposing the teeth and claw-sized holes decorating the side of his torso. Not as deep as he'd feared, so maybe no stitches. Maisie cringed back as Owen swabbed at it with rubbing alcohol. Owen managed a grin at her. "These'll turn out to be really cool scars. Gauze."

She tore open a square patch and handed it to him. "You think that I was wrong?"

Owen paused, eyeing her. She trusted him... that included honesty. He stuck the gauze to his side. "Yes."

Her head went down in shame.

"But I'm _not_ going to fault you for doing what you thought was right." Owen told her with another layer of gauze. "Not everyone has the courage to do that."

He concentrated on the wound, already clotting. That was good. His gaze went back to Maisie, who looked... spent. And guilty as she watched him cover the gauze with surgical tape. He hid it from her with what was left of his shirt, getting her to look up at him. "Mistakes can weigh us down, if we let them. I know a thing or two about that."

Maisie wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "What mistakes could you make?"

Owen about snorted. "Plenty. Including the one I made yesterday... I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Maisie took that with a puzzled look. "Why did you?"

Again, _how_ to explain this? Owen thought back on that morning before leaving for the island; he'd heard Claire call his name and turned around to find her. He'd spent that night watching the videos of Blue and her fellow raptors, but in the end...

"I had an idea of how things were going to turn out, after the island." Owen turned his attention to his leg, readying another alcohol swab. "They didn't, and now we've got dinosaurs running around and..." he stopped himself before it became a tangent. "It's frustrating to accept that. Having to focus on one thing when you'd rather focus on another."

Now she looked confused. Owen tried to backtrack. "It's something adults face a lot. You'll get it in ten years."

He didnt' really have anything to follow that. Maisie sensed this and relaxed her posture, sitting cross-legged. Her eyes went deep and thoughtful, her thumbs fussing with each other. "I... I know that they have to die."

Owen paused wrapping his ankle, pegged by the conflict lingering in her voice. He watched this kid, obsessed with watching the motions of her hands... like they suddenly weren't hers. "Once they're gone... it'll just be me."

She met Owen's gaze, saddened. "'Nobody will ever understand'. That's what people say when they exaggerate. I can't because... I was never..." Her breath cam faster, but she fought it off. "I panicked because I wanted someone to understand."

Owen stopped her, keeping her chin up with his hand. "This doesn't make you a bad kid; not to me and not to Claire. If anything, it'll make you wiser." He eyed her hard. "You learn. Just like everyone else."

He believed that, and wanted her to believe the same. What Owen had told Claire in the car he believed; Maisie had rights, and she had heart for sure. They were the ones that were going to have to back her up on that, until she didn't need them anymore to believe it. Because he knew not everyone would be as understanding as them.

"Okay." Maisie pushed her hair behind her ears. "I'll learn. But only if you and Claire teach me."

That was a tall order, but Owen smiled at the thought of it. "Forgive me then?"

Maisie withheld a nod, weighing her leverage in his request. "Can we finish the cabin?"

"Motion sensors first."

"Alright." Maisie sighed, the first grin cracking across her damp cheeks. About time too; she'd been crying way too much.


	8. New Gambles

**Change of scenery, finally! So glad that you guys continue to enjoy the story. Your support is welcomed and appreciated!**

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"Miss Dearing, you witnessed the release of these dinosaurs?" Senator Sherwood asked from his center seat of the courtroom podium. He shared it with six other DC officials as they sat hearing statements.

"Only after the fact." Claire clarified into her microphone, knowing that every word was on the record and could be played back at any time. Senator Sherwood didn't look encouraged by her answer. "How is it that your fingerprints were recovered from the controls in the underground lab?"

Claire swallowed, but maintained a well-meaning stare. "You're all aware of my lead involvement with the Dinosaur Protection Group. I _did_ unlock the cages with the intent of releasing them."

This set the courtroom abuzz, the faces across the podium going grim. Claire continued. "However… our groups intent, as well as mine, has always been to preserve these incredible species for the admiration of future generations. Not to throw them into a world that they're no longer a part of." Claire took a breath at the memory of that decision. "I did not open the outer doors and my team and I evacuated the estate."

More murmurs; Claire could just see the smoke flying off the pens as reporters took notes. Senator Sherwood eyed her carefully. "So, it is your belief that someone else opened the doors and released these animals?"

"Yes. As I'm sure it is yours." Claire said; before wondering if that was overstepping. Franklin had wiped the security cameras to the holding garage and most of the estate. Zia had had to twist his arm to do it, but in the end, there wasn't much to witness other then the auction and the Indoraptor. There was some footage of her and Owen, of the dinosaurs of course. But most importantly, there was none of Maisie.

 _"There's no sign stating that I have to wear this." Zia Rodriguez had pulled at the waistline of her plaited skirt._

 _"No, just a government approved pamphlet they hand out." Franklin Webb had pointed out, yanking at the cuffs of his cheap, yet pressed suit. To which Zia had rolled her eyes. "You're way too happy to be in that monkey suit."_

 _"There's nothing wrong with having pride in your presentation." Claire had stated to Zia as she straightened her collar. Finding her own ensemble that kept attention off of her leg had been hard enough, but she had had to monitor Zia's wardrobe as well. Zia had followed her lead with a black skirt past the knees and a white blouse... but had added her own touch of a jean jacket and an aqua tie. Claire looked between her colleagues, commanding their attention. "Ok, my hearings are at 10, 2 and 4, assuming things stay on schedule."_

 _Zia had snorted. "The government was late to its own creation."_

 _Claire had glared her down. "Zia, I need your best behavior on this. And, if anyone asks…"_

 _"No girl at the mansion." Franklin had half whispered. Zia had made the motion of a zipper across her lips. "You sure that's… wise?"_

 _Claire only had to think about Mills to answer that. "I can't go into it, but… she needs protection right now and I'd rather go about finding her relatives more, discreetly…"_

 _That was where Zia and Franklin shared a look. To which Claire's brow furrowed. "What?"_

 _"Just cute seeing you in mama bear mode." Zia smiled. Claire rolled her eyes. "I get enough from my mom and sister, so don't you start."_

 _"So you're just looking for the next relative to shovel her off to."_

 _"She's not a box of cargo waiting to be shipped." Claire snapped. Franklin chuckled at that. "Something only a mama bear would say."_

 _"Not that we're judging." Zia said, messing with her skirt again. "It's a good look for you… be better if they made these things with elastic! How do they expect us to move?!"_

Claire could only hope that Zia's snarky dialogue held enough seriousness to get them through the day. Though it was laughable that she was asking them to lie, while she was the first on to practice it in her first statement.

She'd escaped off the island with Owen and the others after being double crossed by Eli Mills. They had proceeded to Lockwood's estate and shut the auction down to avoid the release of the Indoraptor. Were there parts concealed or withheld from that; yes. But hey, the state was in its fifth day of a dinosaur rampage and containing that was the nation's top priority. A little girl's whereabouts were the last thing on people's minds right now. Best to keep it that way.

"Miss Dearing," Senator Sherwood went on with the questioning. "Can you tell us; what do you believe should be done with these creatures?"

 _How differently I might've answered that a week ago._ Claire realized, a little frightened by how much she'd charged through in so short a time. "They… they need to be removed from society. Whether through lethal or non-lethal means, I can't be the sole reason in that decision, but" her lip quirked. "For survival… there needs to be as much distance between us and them; as soon as possible."

The officials thanked her and reporters screamed questions as Claire exited the courtroom. To say that these meetings were crowded was an understatement. The foreseen irony of the meetings in Palo Alto was that they were being held at the city's congressional offices. A fifteen minute drive from InGen HQ! Claire had passed it on the way in from her hotel... Hammond and Lockwood might have begun in their basement, but InGen- with its white-washed walls and overwhelming glass windows- was the cowering creator of the first dinosaur. Nearly 31 years ago by now. The first block pulled in a doomed game of Jenga.

The congressional offices might as well have been the toppled heap of the fallen blocks, it was that chaotic. Reporters had been roped off into the wings of the swooping foyer that rose up over the four floors of the building. They clawed for even an inch closer as politicians, scientists, geneticists, and numerous business advocates mingled in the space reserved for them. There were three courtrooms, each with their own itinerary of hearings going on.

It all shrouded itself in civility, but really everyone was there because they wanted the truth about what had happened- on the island, at the estate, everything! Claire would've stayed to hear the remaining statements- Dr. Ian Malcolm himself was rumored to be here! But she was starving after a mere granola and yogurt breakfast. Plus, she'd promised lunch with Zia and Franklin. She walked into a more central point of the foyer, craning her neck to try and spot them.

"Miss Claire Dearing." came her name, with a tug on her arm. Claire spun to face an abrasive looking man with rock-lined features and a buzzcut. He raised a hand in apology. "Forgive that rash approach, but in this zoo I wanted to be sure I had your attention.'" He bowed his chin to her. "Rodion Aldovich."

"Mr. Aldovich." Claire repeated, brow knit with cautious interest. "Have we met?"

"The pleasure has not been mine before today." Mr. Aldovich stated with a light smile. Too light. And that accent...

"I wasn't aware of Russia's interest in American politics." Claire said, returning the lightness of his smile. He laughed. "Look closely and you'll find every corner or the political market here, Miss Dearing. Though my goals are somewhat more specific. I am hoping you can help me reach them."

Claire squared her shoulders in her strictest business posture. "How so?"

"My employer has hopes of meeting an acquaintance of yours," Mr. Aldovich's eyes gave a slight flicker about. "Owen Grady."

Claire didn't like the way he said 'acquaintance', but kept her expression polite. "I don't believe Mr. Grady is here."

Mr. Aldovich's eyes became intent on her now. "Fascinating that he would keep his distance, when given the chance to explain something as groundbreaking as taming dinosaurs."

Claire wanted to be surprised by this, but he wasn't the first one to inquire after Owen. Somehow, his name had exploded on the forefront of the topic of 'handling' dinosaurs. Why that would be an issue when the dinosaurs were facing removal, she didn't want to think about it. The auction had started with twenty-some dinosaurs; some had been sold and not yet recovered. Were those people _considering_ trying to train a dinosaur?

Claire smoothed a nonchalant hand down her skirt. "There were many people involved in that research-"

"Mr. Grady was the fortunate one to make it work." Mr. Aldovich pointed out. His eyed her up and down. "And you two were-"

"Acquaintances, as you said." Claire finished, laying the word on thick. "We both worked at Jurassic World."

She offered nothing more and Mr. Aldovich accepted that, holding a tan business card out to her. "My employer is a man of conversation. He has expressed interest in what Mr. Grady has to tell him about training dinosaurs."

Claire had to giggle at the image of Owen rejecting him on the spot. "I believe the word 'train' is an exaggeration, Mr. Aldovich." She took her card gingerly. " _If_ I see him, I will certainly pass the message along."

"I trust you will." Mr. Aldovich nodded; like it was an absolute certainty. And it creeped Claire out. She watched him turn and melt back into the crowd, flipping the card between her fingers. Why did his walking away make her feel suddenly isolated? Maybe for the same reason she kept expecting Owen to reach for her hand and squeeze it encouragingly. Claire looked down at the business card; another Russian man's name she didn't recognize. Someone who had been at the auction? Who had worked with Dr. Wu or someone else at Jurassic World? What if… what if it was someone who somehow knew about Maisie?

 _InGen's research and assets have been halted._ Claire realized. _What wasn't seized by the FBI._ _Making resources for understanding the dinosaurs scarce... scarce makes people desperate..._

Thoughts suddenly racing, she threw the card in her purse, exchanging it for her phone.

"Tell me you're ordering take-out." Zia popped up, her jacket and tie off. Even though she had another hearing this afternoon. Claire shook her head. "No. I'm changing my flight to tonight."

"Why?" Franklin was there on her other side, ready to look worried for her. "They might call you back in tomorrow."

"They can set up a conference call." Claire told them. She didn't care. She was going home!


	9. New Markings

**If you've liked the story so far, then you'll LOVE this chapter!**

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"That's what I want to be." Maisie stated as she gazed at all the planes lined up. "A pilot."

"You're gonna need 20/20 eyesight and a steel stomach." Owen told her, his own gaze on the short terminal that led out of the airport. Really, it was an airstrip with only three hangers. Owen didn't know why being here made him so nervous- considering he had been on an island that had blown up! Claire had called and said she was coming home early last night. After the shock of that had worn off, Owen's brain had been flipping between the anticipation of seeing her... and the fear that at any minute, she'd call back to say that she was staying.

 _Boy, you got it bad, Grady._ Owen breathed out, leaning on the hood of the car. (It was one of the few stances that didn't cause pain in his side.) He tilted his head up to the sun, squinted into it. He'd thought the opposite last time he and Claire had been apart; that they'd calm down and make up a few days after she had insulted his van. Those few days had turned into a few years.

 _"You're a better man then you think you are."_

That was what she'd said at the bar. He had to wonder at that if he let Claire Dearing slip away a third time. Was that why he'd spent ten minutes finding the right shirt to wear?

"I'm going to visit every country in the world." Maisie came back from the fence and hung on the rearview mirror. "Keep a journal of each one and what I did there."

Owen had to grin at her newfound energy. He didn't know how she had any, after the slow work they'd put into the cabin over the last 24 hours. He'd foregone any stitches after the compie ambush, wrestling with restricted movement and pain every time he decided to turn something other then his neck. Even so, Owen had felt that working on the cabin would be a good way to cement to Maisie that he wasn't mad at her. Owen looked over, catching the enthusiasm in the girl's eyes. "Which country would you visit first?"

Maisie's face went thoughtful, nose twitching with the process. But her eyes shifted beyond Owen and she grinned. "Claire!"

Owen turned as Maisie ran to where Claire was coming up on the car… toting a duffel bag on one shoulder and a backpack on the other.

"You stop by your apartment?" Owen guessed, joining them with his limp. Claire gave him a look, dropping the duffel on the pavement. "What happened to you? And yeah, I got a few essentials."

Owen could only imagine. "Only two bags, huh? Pretty good restraint on your part-"

He was cut off by Claire's lips meeting his. Owen's body jolted with the touch and it was over too quickly for him to return her lean. He stared as Claire pulled back, smiling. "I missed you."

Owen felt the need to look around and check for any hidden cameras. He studied Claire instead. Hair down, makeup perfect, and that familiar vanilla scent she was obsessed with. Same upscale clothes and shoes as always. But she seemed… lighter, more relaxed. "What happened?"

"Plenty." Claire answered, her arm coming around Maisie's shoulders. "Zia and Franklin were there. Your name was pretty popular."

"And you missed me?" Owen peaked an eyebrow suggestively, getting a giggle from Maisie. Claire's vulnerability switched off then and she shoved the duffel at him. "I needed to be sure that Maisie was getting fed."

Owen groaned at the sudden weight on his injured side. Claire's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

Owen straightened himself, shooting a look at Maisie. "Tell ya later."

"I convinced him to try the asparagus." Maisie giggled more as they started for the car. "But more importantly, we finished a whole side of the cabin! It's the north side, where the wind comes in. So, if there's any rain, it won't damage the floorboards-"

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Claire didn't know how she had gotten to where the ramblings of a ten-year-old and Owen's snarky commentary were what she needed to brighten her day. Other then the initial panic of hearing about Owen's injuries, their car ride was lighthearted and cozy. Things were a complete 180 from when she had left. Claire held onto this warm, contented feeling, which grew when they reached the cabin and trailer. She let Maisie fly out, but held Owen back. Claire undid her belt and leaned over the counsel, prepping him for the sequel to the peck from the airport. Only to be shocked when Owen stopped her. "Could we… maybe save that for later?"

Claire couldn't believe her ears. She had redone her hair four times to get it the most appealing way possible. _"You_ wanna save _this_ for later?"

His face wrestled with the answer. "Yyy, no; YES!"

Claire waited. Owen fidgeted under her gaze. "Yes. It'll... totally be worth it."

"So much conviction." Claire rewound her advance, a little disappointed- but also intrigued. However, it managed to slip her mind sometime during dinner and the dishes. As predicted, Owen threw the business card away the minute she showed it to him. They shared a look that said there would plenty to talk about. Later. Owen passed Claire another plate as Maisie excused herself to go read a book.

"She's read them all twice." Claire sighed, stacking their plates above the sink.

"She's smart." Owen agreed.

"We need to look into her grade level." Claire continued to think aloud, wiping her hands dry. She saw Owen headed for the door, then turn back and grab her hand; an indication to follow him. "So… I guess these towels are just going to fold themselves."

"You need to ease off the HGTV persona." Owen shook his head, leading her into the evening. She went along, hand in hand, out to the cabin. She had pictured maybe a stroll on the lake. Claire climbed up on the platform after Owen, eyeing the waters peacefully stretched out before them. She pressed a hand on the completed wall that Maisie was so proud of. "You're back to building the cabin."

Owen leaned on it, equally proud. "Told you I'm finishing it. And… I promised Maisie."

Claire had to smile. "She wouldn't have stayed mad. She's really attached to you."

"To both of us." Owen clarified, his eyes on her. "Maisie couldn't wait to impress you with all the work she did."

Claire absorbed that fact, letting a bashful smile escape. Owen mirrored it. "Guess somewhere in it all, we make a good team."

She inched forward and rested her head on his chest. There was a kiss on her forehead and they stayed that way. This was what she admired about him. For all his jokes and crass talk, he was a gentleman- emphasis on the gentle.

"It's later." Owen's hand was on her shoulder now, playing with her hair. Claire tilted her head up and kissed his chin. He caught on and they kissed; a lot longer and deeper then at the airport. His scent, his touch… it was enough to make Claire go blind! They paused for a breath, Owen back to playing with her hair. "I wasn't sure you'd come back."

Claire went from surprised, to hurt, to remorseful. "Well… I never gave you reason to think otherwise."

He cocked his head in agreement, chuckling at her expression. "I pictured us reading this point… differently."

"What point?"

"A whole conversation without raising our voices."

Claire laughed. "I… admire such restraint on your part."

"Restraint nothing." Owen pressed on the small of her back and they were kissing again. Claire ran her hands over his shoulders, mindful of his side. They were both injured, both recovering, and her hair had depleted from its perfect formation... so why was this so perfect? Until the sudden braying of the sinoceratops springing from somewhere in the night. Their kiss turned into a fit of laughing, Owen shaking his head. "I'm almost used to that by now."

Claire sighed at the insanity of even hearing a dinosaur from her backyard. It faltered as she focused on Owen's impossibly handsome face. "I… didn't mean what I said; about you 'ignoring' this."

Owen cradled her around the waist, getting serious. "You really think I'd walk away from this?"

"No." Claire told him. "But… I'd like to think that you trust me with whatever's bothering you. Isn't that where we've screwed up before?"

Owen considered that, walking her to the edge of the platform. They sat where they could watch the twilight take new meaning over the lake, the trees a black ridge around it. One that hid dinosaurs along with deer.

"I shouldn't have put my return to the island on you." Owen finally said. Claire eyed him with her peripheral. "Owen, you went to save Blue."

He squeezed her hand, looked at her intently. " I went to make sure nothing happened to you. Pretty good foresight on my part."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"And that was... going to be it. I thought, 'Hey maybe this' our second chance.'" Owen shrugged. "We're both to proud to just make up on our own. A little fireside flirting, defy death once or twice, and we find we can start over."

Claire looked around, like she might be missing something. "What'd you call this?... Owen?"

He was back to eyeing the lake, but fiddling with something in his hands. She couldn't see it in the dark, but he seemed to be thinking- She jumped when he let out one of his sharp whistles. "Wha-"

The timber frame was suddenly glowing with strands of lights woven through the rafters and down the corner posts. Claire blinked, getting her eyes to adjust.

"Claire Dearing." Owen held his hand out. "Do you want this?"

Between his fingers shone a silver band, studded with five little diamonds. Claire blinked again to make sure of what she was seeing. "Wait, how-"

"Maisie's been on standby at the generator." Owen pointed over his shoulder, then at the ring. "And, pawn shop in town."

A pawn shop... was it even real? Real or not, the ring hadn't moved, enticing Claire to take it. Did she want it? For the rest of her life? Why was that daunting? Claire looked up at Owen to get away from her thoughts. Before they ruined the moment and made her say something stupid. His earnest face, reassuring and convicted as always, was all she needed to see.

"Yes." Claire nodded, eyes locked on Owen's. "Yes, I want that. But only if it means I'm marrying you."

Owen gave her a _Cmon_ look as he took her hand and slipped the ring on. Claire giggled; she couldn't help it. She worked her finger to get a feel for the ring. And leaned in to kiss Owen again. This time as her finance.


	10. New Times

**Sorry that this one took longer to post, but I couldn't get some of the dialogue right; I hit a snag, GASP! Either way, here it is, I hope you all continue to enjoy it.**

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"Why is this happening without me!?" Karen cried into Claire's ear. It had taken her three minutes to call after Claire had sent her sister a picture of her ring. Owen had protested, but she'd taken it of their entwined hands, hers resting on top. _"Will you just let me be a woman and savor this?"_

 _"You'll be savoring it for the next 50 years." Owen had scoffed._

It was nice to know that he'd never change in any of those decades! Claire halted Karen's rant in the midst of her fifth question. "Karen, we're not making it a big thing. There's a judge in town, he's able to fit us in today, and... that's it."

"That's it!" Karen repeated, appalled.

"It's what I want." Claire specified. She looked back at the trailer. She had a panoramic view, along with the cabin and its slowly forming structure. Owen was up there measuring now... and boy did he look good while doing it! "It's what we want, Karen. No more waiting."

There was a pause, followed by a frustrated sigh. "There had better be pictures or I'm disavowing you!"

"There will be." Claire promised, eyes scouting for Maisie. She had to smile at remembering Maisie's excitement as Claire had shown her the ring.

 _"He already had it picked out when we went to the store." the young girl had spilled as Claire sat with her on the bed last night. Claire's eyebrows had quirked. "Really?"_

 _"Guess that means he really loves you." Maisie went on to inspect the ring on Claire's finger. Claire had let her. "That's good. I love him too."_

 _Maisie's enthusiasm had cooled slightly. "I hope you two make each other happy."_

 _An odd phrase, Claire had tilted her head at the girl. "Something else on your mind?"_

 _Maisie pushed her hair behind her ears, a flush filling her cheeks. She gave a hard swallow. "Are you... going to have me stay?"_

 _Claire's head had jerked back in surprise._

 _"I've been too afraid to ask." Maisie rushed to explain. "One of you, or both. I didn't know if you agreed about keeping me or..."_

 _"Or what?" Claire halted her ramblings, getting Maisie to look her in the eye. "I know, it's... been shoved to the back with things. But that's not fair to you, is it." She sighed, taking a long look at Maisie, at the way her eyes held hope and fear at the same time. She was carrying so much and Claire- and Owen- weren't about to let her carry it alone._

 _"You don't have to sugarcoat things for me." Maisie had told her. "I understand things well for my age."_

 _Claire half-smiled at her attempt to be brave. "As far as Owen and I are concerned, you're here to stay. I know this is all new, but... part of what makes us happy is having you here."_

 _That brightened Maisie's face a moment, before deep thought had crossed her face again._ _"I'm nervous about tomorrow; I've never been in a wedding before. I often pictured what my... parents' wedding was like. Grandpa never showed me pictures. Iris would say because it was too painful for him."_

 _Claire believed that none would ever understand the pain that Benjamin Lockwood had suffered._

 _"... I have so many other questions that I always wanted to ask 'them'." Maisie had gone back to rambling. "Only it turns out that 'they' don't exist."_

 _Claire had pulled her into a tight hug. Resting her chin atop Maisie's head, she looked around the small room; unable to avoid the thought that had been growing in her mind over the last week. "Parents exist in many different forms, Maisie. A lot of times they're the people who look out for you, teach you when you're wrong and treat you when you're right. They'll love you... no matter what."_

 _Maisie's breath had caught. "Like you and Owen?"_

 _Claire's breath caught as well. But she had nodded. "Exactly."_

 _What had she been admitting to over the last two minutes? That she was on board with the responsibility of possibly the most valuable person on the planet? Owen had no problem with it because he had the super-male power of not thinking. He may have the integrity to not think about Maisie in terms of her cloning, but Claire couldn't stop adding it on every time she saw this little girl bursting with life. It made her feel guilty, yet it was practical... but in the end, neither mattered. Owen made her happy; so did Maisie._

 _"I dream still." Maisie had admitted, her arms closing around Claire's back. "I'm back in the manor and I can't find you. I can't find anyone."_

 _"We're right here." Claire stopped her there. "And we're not going anywhere."_

"Claire?" Karen commanded her attention again. "Are you at least planning on wearing white to your wedding?"

"I'm... a white shirt." Claire offered as she continued her walk about the lake, which even with her limp she enjoyed it. Owen hadn't seen any activity on the sensors, making it safe for her to at least have a private ten minutes. She informed Karen of her duty to tell their parents... Mom would start crying and guilt-tripping, Dad would be demanding a face to go with the fiancé, and Claire would be left with no choice but to agree to whatever they wanted. And like she'd said, she and Owen didn't want to wait anymore.

"Oh how I will love watching their faces morph into devastation over video chat." Karen drew out in her typical drama. Claire laughed. "Much appreciated. I _will_ call you after _and_ send you photos."

"They'll be the highlight of this week." Karen stated the obvious. "What _is_ the status out there? I can't get Gray away from the TV, but I'm sure they're downplaying it. I mean... dinosaurs."

Claire blew out a long breath, spying the leaves overhead... they were starting to turn, adding to the peaceful view of the whole place. Boy, was it misleading. "A majority of the carnivores have been blazing south, and a herbivore has been grazing in our backyard. The army has been tightening their perimeter by two miles every day, but they haven't reached us yet."

"People still rushing the borders?" Karen guessed at her next exposition. Claire nodded, finally seeing Maisie down by the shoreline. "The army's having more problems with that then they are the actual-"

There was faint shouting in the background, making her pause. "Karen?"

"What?" Karen was saying. There was faint explaining, then her voice came back. "Some special announcement-"

The phone dinged then. Claire pulled it away and saw it was a notification from CNN. She got back on with Karen, making her way back toward the cabin. She stepped down on her injured leg- and the ground shook. Claire froze, phone halfway to her ear. The ground shook again, as though giving a lazy shrug of its shoulders. She looked back across the lake and, sure enough, Maisie was waving at her, pointing to her right.

Maisie's indication was backed up by a hot snort behind Claire.

"Claire," Karen came back on the line. "The meetings let out in Palo Alto. The Head of Congress, or whoever, is making an announcement."

"Oh..." Claire turned around, measuring her movements in inches. "Really?"

The sinoceratops broke out from the trees, its horns catching on the lower branches. They snapped with ease, rolled down the sino's face, and landed next to Claire. She stared at them a second, then back up at the massive reptile making its way toward her. She didn't move a muscle, even as her heart accelerated, screaming for her to run.

"...InGen and the Lockwood estate are still under investigation..." Karen read out from the newscast; undoubtedly the same one Claire had just received on her phone. Only she didn't dare take her eyes off the sinoceratops to check. They were so much bigger up close! Everything had happened so fast on Isla Nublar, there wasn't a moment to really...

"He's saying there's been much debate," Karen's updates stayed in synch with the sino's steps. Claire widened her stance, for balance and the courage not to move. If she caused the sino to panic, it might charge. She couldn't outrun it with- or even without- or leg.

"... lots of testimonies have been heard..."

"Get to the point." Claire breathed as the sino lumbered closer. Ugh... she stank!

"Co-exisitence with these animals is impossible." Karen stated the final verdict. "Neither can their significance in the field of science be ignored. Effective immediately..."

Her voice trailed off, right as the sino paused beside Claire. Claire gaped, finding their eyes level with one another. It blinked, rolled with curiosity, then stared at Claire. She could only stare back, stare at her quivering self in the large, glassy pupil. What word was there to describe the sensation of standing two feet from a dinosaur. Wonder? A worrisome wonder, perhaps.

 _It's almost like... a miracle._

"What Karen?" Claire managed a whisper into her phone. "What are they going to do?"

"The military is working to evacuate as many residents out of California." Karen puffed out a laugh in disbelief. "The whole freakin' state! Then they'll issue separate military to... hunt down and kill them. Before they cross over into other states."

 _Kill them._ Claire's brain echoed, as though that made it finite. The wind picked up, blowing the scent of the lake over her and the sino. To which she let out a long sigh and strolled on past Claire until its front legs were knee deep in the water. Claire watched the sino take a drink, dunk its head down, then shake it back, so that the water sprayed in all directions. The water must've felt good because she was enjoying it.

A tear released down Claire's cheek with her first step back from the sinoceratops. She maintained a slow and steady pace, letting the dinosaur have her drink. "How... how are they going to evacuate a whole state?"

"They've posted a list of safe havens on the Palo Alto government website." Karen said, the disbelief still in her voice. "Based on people's locations, they'll head to one of them. People will be checked at the state lines, I guess."

Claire changed direction, moving in an arch behind the sinoceratops. Even the barrier of a tree made her feel a little safer. "There's already protests, aren't there."

"You bet." Karen grunted. "Why anybody thinks it's a good idea... Gray, turn it off."

The sinoceratops was all in the lake now, practically up to her eyeballs. She rocked her body, creating waves. Then she lifted her head and let a soft moan travel out, across the lake and over the ridge. It was hard to explain, but it sounded happy; content. Claire lifted her chin to see Owen standing by, watching with Maisie. Even he was captivated. Claire continued toward them, wiping at her tears. "I'll check the website, I guess. See where Owen and I are going on our honeymoon."

Karen shared a giggle with her, followed by a pause. "Be safe. And... be happy, Claire."

Claire almost forgot the sino. "What does that mean."

"It means that I've watched you pursue everything from promotion to control." Karen told her. "And I'm ready to see you go after happiness for a change."

Claire glanced over her shoulder as she distanced herself from the sinoceratops. Her mission for the last three years. Claire resumed her limp-walk that brought her closer to Owen and Maisie. It hurt, but she had a new mission now.


	11. New Answers

Maisie took a breath, listening to the air fill her lungs then exit back out. This was meant to calm her, but the tension stayed in her fingers, arms, her shoulders… pretty much her entire body!

"You're not going to hit anything with that posture." Owen told her, hunkering down to her level.

"She doesn't really need to try and hit anything." Claire mentioned from Maisie's other side… several feet away. Owen looked up at her in exasperation. "It's a gun, Claire. Hitting something's kinda the point."

Claire moved her hand down her leg. Maisie had noted that she was making a habit out of it, when she was nervous. But she was too busy holding Owen's rifle and couldn't think about being nervous. They were taking a break from the roof work that was nearly completed on the cabin. Owen wasn't leaving for any 'safe haven' until that was done. He and Claire had almost come to yelling over it, but Maisie was secretly pleased that Owen had won her over. That, and her first lesson with a rifle.

"You sure about this, Maisie?" Claire asked again, looking at her anxiously. Whereas Owen gave an exasperated sigh. "Claire-"

"I'm just making sure."

" _No,_ you're making her nervous."

"Guys!" Maisie shouted before they escalated. "My finger's very shaky and _very_ close to the trigger."

Claire took a breath and Owen backed up. "Then take aim, Maze."

The sound of her nickname steadied Maisie enough and she but her bead on the spray-painted dot on the tree. _Aim… breathe… squeeze._

She did. The rifle jolted and Maisie tottered back, gasping at the jab it gave the right side of her body. Owen caught her, but Maisie looked at the tree… she'd missed.

"Not bad." Owen shrugged, a hand on her sore shoulder. "You nicked it."

Maisie rubbed at the whining in her ears. "I had it in my sights, how'd I miss?"

"You moved when the rifle did." Owen loaded another round into the chamber. "Remember what I said about your feet-"

"Owen." Claire interjected again, only she wasn't looking at them. Maisie followed her gaze as a car parked in the gravel along the trailer. That grabbed her attention. There hadn't been another vehicle up here since they had arrived. She squinted as the driver's door opened and a woman climbed out.

"Iris." Maisie spoke in disbelief. Then she sprinted from Claire and Owen, joy bubbling over. "Iris!"

The gentle-faced nanny saw her coming and dropped her purse in astonishment. Maisie reach her and about knocked her over, a type of laugh-cry coming out of her mouth.

"Oh, dear girl!" Iris breathed, squeezing her tight. The buttons of her coat pinched Maisie's cheek, but she didn't care. "You didn't get eaten!"

Iris laughed, tilting Maisie's head up. "Too gamey, I suspect… let me look at you."

She stroked Maisie's cheeks with her thumbs, eye lost in wrinkles as she smiled. "Where did all this color come from?"

Maisie couldn't stop smiling, grabbing her hands. "How'd you find me?"

"By no easy means." Iris held her out at arm's lengths to inspect her. "One would think you were trying to vanish off the entire planet."

For a lover of Queen's English, Iris was such an exaggerator. Maisie looked back as Owen and Claire walked up, apprehension on their faces. Iris noted them as well and her no nonsense posture emerged. "Miss Dearing, if I recall."

Claire cleared her throat and shook Iris' hand. "Yes, from the estate. And, it's Mrs. Grady."

"Owen Grady." Owen looped himself in, hands occupied with the rifle.

"They got married two days ago." Maisie informed Iris, still smiling. "I was the witness."

"I'm aware of who you both are." Iris' arm tightened protectively around Maisie. "And I don't know whether gratitude or fury is in order."

Maisie's smile weakened. Iris withdrew some of her tension, eyes travelling to the trailer. "I find that conversations like this are best done over tea."

Maisie glanced at Owen, smirking. "Told you we would need that."

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Claire was grateful for Maisie's presence to buffer the level of discomfort she had with Iris here. It felt like the equivalent of the Supernanny and her laser vision coming to visit. The presence of tea- served in coffee mugs- only deepened this illusion. However, would this end with Maisie leaving them?

 _Until she decides what she wants to do._ Owen's words echoed back at her from a week ago. Course Claire could tell by the look on his face, seated across from Iris at the table, that he was regretted them as much as she did. Then again, this stiff British twig of a woman had been with Maisie her whole life… they couldn't stand in the way of that, no matter what Claire or Owen wanted.

"It took quite the convincing of that Miss Rodriguez to tell me where you were." Iris's gaze lingered on the cramped interior of the trailer; ending with Owen. "Guess I should be glad that your shirt's tucked in, Mr. Grady."

Owen smirked. "Careful Grandma, you about snapped your elastic."

Maisie tried to hide a giggle, Claire restricting a slap to his shoulder.

"Well, I like that." Iris placed her mug down with the first prim sip. She glared him down, and then looked at Maisie. "Maisie, is your room clean?"

Maisie protested. "Iris-"

"Is that sass I detect?" Iris eyed her.

That shut her down quickly and Maisie stomped back into the bedroom. She didn't, however, close the door. Really, what was the point in a space this small?

"So," Iris turned steely eyes on them as Claire, too anxious to sit, came to stand beside Owen. "Just what _is_ your explanation for running off with Sir Benjamin's granddaughter?"

"They were protecting me from Mr. Mills." Maisie called out from the bedroom.

"Maisie, show some respect." Claire threw out before thinking. Iris gauged her, as though the command were a slight to her presence. But she went on after another swallow of tea. "I'm happy to report that the sorry git's remains were identified yesterday. Course, all they found was a foot."

Owen's expression became oddly satisfied at hearing that. Claire only felt relief. She sobered however with her next question, catching Maisie's eye. "What about Mr. Lockwood?"

"I've made arrangements," Iris offered stalely. "Even with the red tape surrounding this whole mess. With Mr. Mills gone, management of the estate falls to me-"

"Has he been buried?" Maisie's query rang out, silencing the trailer. Iris looked back at her and for the first time, her demeanor faltered.

"There's been nothing about it on the news." Claire interjected. "Only of the use of his place to hold the auction."

"That was extent of his involvement." Iris whipped her head at them, daring them to say different. "He knew nothing about…" she hastened to collect herself. "I gave the press all that they wanted. Anything else is a private matter."

Maisie was in the doorway now, staring intently at the back of Iris' head. "Where is he?"

Iris clasped her hands to her mug. "Scheduled for return to Oxford. Buried in the family lot, as he always wished."

"Where his daughter's buried?" Owen guessed, a knowing gaze piercing the old woman. Claire touched his shoulder this time. "Owen."

"There's much to find offensive in your tone." Iris squared her shoulders at him. Owen leaned forward. "Did you know? Not about the auction, but about Maisie?"

"About…" Iris gasped, a hand flying to her throat. Maisie stepped out of the bedroom and up to the table. Iris looked at her, realization hitting her face. She looked back at Claire. "Mills."

"Oh he had plenty to say." Claire commented. Maisie was close enough and she placed her hands on her shoulders. Iris looked over at Owen, who hadn't wavered in his glare.

"Was her name really Gloria?"

Claire and Owen looked at Maisie in surprise. Gloria? Had that been the name of Lockwood's daughter… Maisie's name? Iris got up and drew Maisie close, brushing the girl's hair out of her face. "Your _grandfather_ was… heartbroken when he lost her." she blinked through the tears misting her eyes. "He couldn't move on, like most of us did."

Maisie continued to stare at Iris, throat jumping in emotion. Claire felt like they were intruding on a moment.

"When I found out what he had done." Iris spoke straight to Maisie. "I convinced him… any name but Gloria."

Owen and Claire looked at each other. Iris shook her head with the memory. "It was too important. You're so much like her, it hurts, love. But… there are traits you exhibit- you learned- that Miss Gloria never did." She kissed Maisie's forehead and hugged her tight. "And it has been my joy to raise you, understand?"

Maisie hugged Iris back, fitting perfectly against the woman. That made Claire more nervous then she was prepared to feel. Iris broke off after a minute, smoothing her clothes and hair. She placed a hand on the table and returned attention to Claire and Owen. "Since we're all on the same page," she gazed back at Maisie. "Are you ready to go back?"

Maisie blinked. "Where?"

"To Oxford, where all the legal matters are currently being handled…"

Claire's heart skipped a beat. Her head whipped to Owen as Maisie's did. His face was a mask, looking back at Maisie. "If that's what she wants."

"What do you mean, 'if'." Iris echoed in absurdity. "It's what's best for her."

"Hiding her again?" Owen pegged Iris with his stare. "That's what you did, right?"

"Maisie has been provided for in every necessity since the day-" Iris' glance flitted between Owen and Claire; then her chin lifted in understanding. "What, you were planning on keeping her?"

"It's not so bad an idea, Iris." Maisie said. Iris placed her other hand on her hip. "So, adoption then? I imagine some documentation would be in order; documents she does not possess! And which of you will look after her schooling?"

Claire felt like she was six and being scolded for taking a toy of Karen's.

"You wouldn't be foolish enough to enroll her in public school."

Owen stopped Iris there, tone and chin tight. "She deserves that like any other kid."

"Does she now?" Iris challenged, her small stature going rigor. "And what do you expect people to say about her accent, among other things?"

"Bob's your uncle." Owen suggested, turning Iris livid. "I'm glad you can find such humor in this situation, Mr. Grady."

Owen peeked over at Maisie, winked. "Every little bit helps. And it's Owen."

Iris' arms folded in rising frustration, gaze happening to the window. She yelped and Owen righted himself to take a look. Claire swallowed at the sinoceratops grazing in the meadow. Maisie looked up at her, at a loss, then back as the giant herbivore mowed its way closer to the trailer. Everyone watched for a minute before Owen threw a sideways glance at Claire, scratching his head uncomfortably. "We probably need to call somebody about that."

"Yeah." Claire nodded, watching Iris' reaction dwindled, taking in the sight. She took a breath, shook her head. "John Hammond, Sir Benjamin… they wanted to stand the test of time. I never thought…" she became aware of Maisie again and gave a loving stroke on the girl's chin. "But, there it is then."

"Who else would know?" Claire risked asking. Iris paused, resuming her seat, as fatiguing deepened her wrinkles. "There was a staff of eight in the labs at the time. "Though I can't be sure who witnessed the breakthrough."

"The name Henry Wu ring any bells?" Owen tagged on.

"No, he was all Hammond's." Iris rotated her mug by the handle. "The proper names will be in Sir Benjamin's records, I'm sure."

"What's the likelihood they'll come around asking questions?" Claire said, back to gripping Maisie's shoulders. Owen raised his eyebrows at Iris. "Not likely if they don't know where to look for her."

Iris took hold of what he was saying and she didn't appear to like it.

"We're headed to Carson City in a few days." Owen went on, eyes subconsciously trailing to the cabin. "Once the evacuation's over, we'll be back here. After that…" he looked at Maisie with an encouraging grin. "We'll figure it out, won't we Maze."

Maisie's nod and smile were hopeful. Iris remained uncertain, coming back to a glare on Owen. "As I said, management of Sir Lockwood's affairs falls to me. When all is said and done, Maisie will inherit the lot."

"We don't care about that." Claire stated firmly- having no clue what 'the lot' indicated. "We just want Maisie to be safe."

"I suppose I'll have to take your word for it." Iris gave another condescending glance around the trailer. Her face stayed unsure, but she reached out and took Maisie's hand. "Maisie?"

Maisie swallowed, aware of all eyes on her. She studied her shoes, thought, and faced Iris. "I know why you always told me I couldn't go outside the garden; because I'm outside and… I don't know how I can be satisfied if I go back in."

Iris' eyes misted again. She lowered her head and cleared her throat, squeezing Maisie's arms. She gave her gaze back to Owen and Claire. "Children… need a father _and_ a mother to be raised proper, I believe. If _that's_ what you intend to be for her, I shalt object too harshly."

Maisie hugged Iris again as Claire's breath rushed out. She and Owen shared a glance, volumes of joy hitting the ceiling between them.


	12. New Generation

Claire breathed next to Owen, her rhythm a relaxing mantra as they watched the sun set. Side by side on the floor of the developing cabin, a blanket covered their legs and a beer bottle lingered in each of their hands. The air was cool and crickets chirped to welcome the night. The deepening of the colors had a more final feel then the previous nights. The cabin had become their spot to talk, among other things, when Maisie was in bed. It was slowly taking shape… along with everything else. He hated the thought of leaving it again, when they were finally making some headway. Iris had struck a deal to leave Maisie with them while she settled Mr. Lockwood's affairs… and kept her eye out for anyone that might inquire after Maisie.

 _Even afterwards, it'll still be her decision, if she wants to stay or go._ Owen told himself, back to a stud and an arm over Claire's shoulders. He hadn't wavered in believing Maisie needed to make her own choices. Mostly for the kid's sake; she needed to realize that her choices were hers, no one else's. Maybe it felt so important to him because, in a way, it would be more important for Maisie to grasp that then anyone else. He might have said something about it, had Claire not shifted, falling out of her rhythm. He turned his head to eye her. "You okay?"

"Shhh," she hesitated, gaze lingering over the lake. "I don't wanna ruin this."

Owen considered her request, but smirked because he knew better. "We both know your brain will explode if you don't speak your mind."

Claire hit him lightly, waited another minute, then sighed. "An airstrike's not going to end this, Owen. A handful of people walked out of that auction with a dinosaur in their trunk."

Owen didn't have a rebuttal for that, massaging her shoulder. "It's a start."

"What if there's no way to find out who those people were?" Claire asked with a nervous sip of her beer. "No way to discover what they wanted them for?"

"Mills wasn't stupid." Owen hated to admit. "He knew who was coming and would've kept records as insurance. It'll just be a matter of finding them."

More crickets and breeze went by before Claire sat up from Owen to face him. "We need to be a part of this. We need to make sure that it finishes."

Owen saw that, much as he didn't want to. The reality that they couldn't hide up here forever had been creeping on his thoughts as he'd watched Claire's restlessness grow. They were still on the mend, but their wounds would become scars and he'd have full mobility of his side again. They were both people of action, he being the bull that charged in first and Claire being the bull that went nuts if she didn't have something to charge at!

"What's more important though?" Owen found himself saying to Claire. "Our involvement out there, or here with Maisie?"

Claire took on a glare that he felt even in the dark. "Don't go using her as an excuse."

"I'm not." Owen stopped her. "She's a concern for us, someone that we care about… we're going to raise her, aren't we?"

"What example do we set for her by ignoring our responsibilities?" Claire's eyes were afire now and Owen strapped in mentally. "We won't be ignoring our responsibility to her; to keeping her safe."

Claire stared at him, knowing and sharing the same thought. Would Maisie ever be safe? Iris had added little to what they knew about her. A terrifying query was, who knew more then them? Someone did and if Owen read human nature correctly- much more complex then raptor behavior no matter how one sliced it- Lockwood's death would draw them out of the woodwork. The implications of that were unknown and as much as Owen could roll with the punches, he didn't like all the blank spaces on this one.

"Maisie understands what her existence means." Claire looked to the trailer. "I don't think we should patronize that."

Owen swallowed his beer with a chuckle. "Now who's making excuses."

"Excuse me?" Claire did a double take. "Owen, we're trying to figure out what our next step should be-"

"Stop." Owen groaned at the first stars appearing for the night. Claire's tone turned puzzled- and annoyed. "Stop what?"

"Stop… trying to outrun who you are." Owen said, taking her hand. "Who you _were_ … at the park."

She looked taken aback, like he shouldn't have been able to read her. _Good luck, Mrs. Grady._

"Owen," Claire shook the blanket off, hastily getting up. She backed a few feet into the cabin, then back beside him. "It's not just the park. Even before that I was-"

"Young?" Owen threw out, getting that cute furrowed brow from her. "Ambitious, unstoppable," he rose up beside her. "Blind and stupid. Because I was too. We all are, until something comes along that teaches us to be better."

Claire looked him over, her belief still in suspension. Owen pulled her in so that he had her eye to eye. "You gotta hold yourself higher then that. I do, and so does Maisie."

A ginger brow raised. "You think you know me pretty well."

"I know what I know." Owen shrugged in zealous confidence. "That's why I'm so in love."

"Ugh," Claire brushed his hand off. "That is such a guy response."

Owen had to chuckle. "You make it too easy."

"You call five years easy?" Claire snorted, fussing with the blanket so they could sit back down.

"I doubt for you; you were _sooo_ into me." Owen teased. Claire kicked out at him. "Shut up."

"Probably dreaming of me every night-"

"Owen." Claire huffed. Owen raised his eyebrows with a cocky swig of his beer. His eyes traveled over his wife's body, ending on her bare feet. He almost laughed, never having pictured her as one to go barefoot. But here she was, proving him wrong. She was here, she was his WIFE… and they were going to raise a kid together. Owen put his back to the stud at the thought of Maisie. "Are we-"

"Really going to do this?" Claire picked up on his thoughts. Owen grinned at her. "Only if I get to be the fun parent."

Claire dropped the blanket, coming to stand in front of him. "More like the obnoxious one."

"Ouch." Owen faked a moan. "You never do shy from insulting me."

Claire stepped closer, returning his elevator eyes. "Well… maybe I can stop insulting and you can stop annoying. Sound fair?"

Her lips were very close now, eyebrows kneaded knowingly. Owen's heart raced as he kissed her. Celebrating the thrill it gave him, Owen nestled her neck with his hand while Claire's arms worked up his back. His side resounded in pain, but he ordered it silent.

"Claire?"

Maisie's voice split their concentration, making Claire jump and ram the back of Owen's head into the stud. He grunted, looking over to where Maisie was standing in her gray and blue horse pajamas. He focused on that rather then swearing. "Maisie… what're you-"

Maisie stopped coming forward, eyes half open. "I had a dream… sorry to-"

"No, it's fine." Claire walked over to hoist her up onto the frame.

 _Speak for yourself._ Owen rubbed his head, the throb matching his side. Great.

"Another nightmare?" Owen guessed as Maisie tucked herself under Claire's arm. She nodded. Owen nodded back. "Those'll go away. Just takes time."

"Have you had them?" Maisie looked between him and Claire. Claire shrugged. "A few."

"Yeah, a few." Owen echoed. He gestured to the half-built cabin. "We come out here to… get away from them."

Maisie giggled, rubbing at the sleep in her eyes. "No you don't."

Claire glared at him, like Maisie's knowing was his fault! She was obviously wise, so they didn't have to sugarcoat it. Wait, should that make him relieved or anxious?

"If you two need your privacy-" Maisie stepped back, but Claire held on. "No, no Maisie, really. If you need us, we're here…" she looked over her shoulder. "Right, Owen?"

Owen blew his breath out, conflicted. "Yeah, sure."

That seemed to comfort Maisie as Claire helped her sit down and get situated in the blanket. Owen sat too, withholding the frustration of being interrupted. The crickets and stillness of the lake came back into focus and after a minute, Maisie stretched out, placing her head in Owen's lap. "I don't think I thanked either of you for today."

Owen looked over at Claire. "For what?"

"For letting me belong with you." Maisie explained in soft embarrassment. She looked up, gave a contented smile. Owen had to smile back, letting the frustration go. "Anything for you, kid."

He caught Claire watching him, face and eyes tender with the scene. He shrugged helplessly. Claire held in a laugh, leaned over, and pecked his cheek.

"We won't go before the roof's done?" Maisie made sure, her voice softer then before.

Claire looked up at the frame, pulling the blanket up Maisie's shoulder. "Absolutely."

Maisie nodded, her eyes already closed. "Good. I'll be glad to finish it."

Owen rolled his eyes at her choice of words. "Why is she taking after you?"

Claire tucked her hair behind her ears, watching Maisie drift off. "She'll take after both of us."

Her head came to rest on Owen's shoulder. He stilled, letting her rhythm relax him once more. He slipped an arm over Maisie, so his hand held Claire's. Dinosaurs, airstrikes, safe havens… he'd go through it all, long as he had this to hold onto.

 **}{}{}{}{**

 **THE END**

 **This story has been a thrill to write and I'm happy that y'all have enjoyed it! I'm going on hiatus, but I will aim for a new Jurassic fic... say, around the time that Fallen Kingdom comes out on DVD? That'll give me enough time to recharge my creative batteries, cook up a killer plot line, and take care of life stuff. Hold on until then and I PROMISE Blue will be in the next one! I have a great arc reserved for her.**

 **Thank you again for y'alls constant support; it keeps a writer going! I hope that y'all are doing well and whatever you can to make your own stories more unique and beautiful then they already are.**


	13. Author's Note

Once again, I say thank you to all of your faithful reads and uplifting commentary! I can confirm that I will be posting a New Dawn sequel in October, after the DVD comes out... sort of a commemoration. It will involve Owen/Claire/Maisie, it will be COMPLETELY hypothetical in terms of how Jurassic World 3 might go, and IT. WILL. HAVE. DINOSAURS!

But this is only happening because of you guys so I wanted to give you the chance to add your two cents to the next installment. Leave comments for locations you would love to see dinosaurs chasing/eating people. For example, a grocery store or a train station. (I'm totally using the grocery store one either way because it's too ironic not to.) Also, if you'd like, add what dinosaur you'd like to see attacking (excluding Blue, I already have plans for her).

 **These are the dinos that survived and were let loose in Fallen Kingdom:**

Mosasaurus

stygimolocgh

allosaurus

apatosaurus (a smaller version of the brachiosaurus)

sinoceratops

triceratops and baby

ankylosaurus

compsognathus

stegosaurus

pteranodons

gallimimus

and... TYRANNOSAURUS REX!

 **}{}{}{}{**

I look forward to hearing all of your suggestions! Please bear in mind that I might not be able to use all of them, picking the ones that either work best with the plot or have the greatest likelihood of something exploding! Have a great week!


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